Robert Molenaar is reluctantly ready to write off the rest of the season after suffering another setback in training.

City's Dutch centre-half has played only 19 minutes under Nicky Law because of a rib problem. And he fears that will be his lot as his recovery bid took another jolt.

Molenaar said: "I trained with the kids on Friday and felt fine at the time but there was a slight reaction afterwards. It's as if something grabs the rib and holds it very tightly, it's clearly not right.

"I can jump around and run about fine but if I have a hard session then I can feel the lungs pushing on that rib area.

"It is very, very frustrating because the manager has not seen what I can do.

"When a new man takes over you want to go out there and impress him straight away. But my biggest mistake was playing in his first game against Walsall when I was feeling my ribs - I got another knock on it and that's been it for me.

"You feel so helpless. It's very easy to say you are injured and it looks like you are taking the easy way out. But this could not have come at a worse time.

"Things are obviously not going as we would have wanted this season but I can do nothing to help."

City round off the campaign back at Walsall on April 21 and time is against the Terminator, who played 21 league games before the injury struck.

City centre-halves have been jinxed this year. Law has already lost Peter Atherton, Andy Myers was stretchered off against Manchester City while David Wetherall is still coming back carefully.

Molenaar said: "Someone asked me the other day if I would play again in time and I thought it was ridiculous to think I wouldn't be ready. But now I am not so sure.

"I was advised to leave it all together for two weeks and coming on top of a month when I didn't do a lot, naturally my stamina and endurance level has suffered.

"I've been taking too many steps backward and even if I was to get through pain-free, it would take me a few weeks just to build up the stamina again."

The cloud over the big defender has a silver lining. At least Molenaar has had time to look after new arrival Niels, his baby son, who was born three weeks ago.